Melissa Karp Elsbree has lived in Sarasota since 1972. After graduating high school, she attended The American University in Washington, D.C., obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice in 1983. Melissa subsequently earned her J.D. degree from Florida State University College of Law in December of 1990, immediately began her law practice in her hometown of Sarasota, and has practiced exclusively in Sarasota since that time. Formerly a partner of Karp & Karp, P.A., Melissa has longstanding experience in handling complex civil litigation matters, concentrated primarily in the areas of family law and divorce, foreclosure defense...

A graduate of Venice High School, Venice, FL and University of South Florida in Tampa, graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 1998 and work for Community Legal Services of Mid Florida in Daytona Beach as domestic violence family law attorney and managing attorney until 2006 when moved to Bradenton and became Managing Attorney of Gulfcoast Legal Services Bradenton Office and become Elder Law Attorney until March 2011 when open private law firm Bates-Buchanan Law Group, which is now Bates-Buchanan & Savitsky Law Group in October 2012 when her friend and colleague became a full partner. Specializes in Collaborative...

I am a practicing attorney with over twenty-seven years experience in Florida and New York. I currently actively litigating family law cases including modification of alimony, domestication of a foreign decree and dissolution of marriage cases. Additionally, I am appearing as local counsel for Plaintiff’s in debt collection, mortgage foreclosure and insurance subrogation cases. I previously served as a Child Support Hearing Officer/Magistrate for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Bradenton, Florida.

I have 25 years experience in the legal field as a law clerk, judicial clerk, legal intern and attorney. Since 2000, I've had my own private law practice which has been a general law practice in the past. In the last several years, I have limited my practice areas to certain legal fields. Now approximately 95% of my practice is focused on divorce and family law.

Paul M. McDermott, Esq., practices exclusively in the area of Marital and Family Law. He has experience in litigation, mediation, and collaboration. After practicing law in Virginia for many years as a trial lawyer, he relocated to Florida and founded McDermott Law Offices, PLLC and now practices exclusively in the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida, which includes Manatee County and Sarasota County.

Mr. McDermott is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator. He is also trained in Collaborative Divorce Law, an emerging field within the Alternative Dispute Resolution realm focused on resolving cases with a "team" approach...

Ms. Loftus offers a concierge approach to her clients. She begins with the assumption that each case calls for special handling, since no two family law cases are alike. After the initial consultation, she works with her clients closely, to provide them with a basic understanding of Florida family law proceedings. Ms. Loftus and the client are then able to work together to ensure that there are articulated, agreed-upon, legitimate and realistic goals. After the goals are established, Ms. Loftus provides her clients with a range of options designed to meet those objectives. She reviews the advantages and disadvantages of...

Experience, Respect and Reputation in the community for over 19 years. Dedicated and Aggressive Trial Defense, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Law, Domestic Violence, Family Law/Divorce, Probate, Estate Planning and Guardianship cases. Member United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, July 17, 1998 Member United States Middle District of Florida, August 14, 1998 Member of Sarasota County Bar Association, 1998-2017 Founding Member and Board of Directors of the Collaborative Family Law Professionals of Sarasota/Manatee Graduated Nova Southeastern University, Juris Doctor, January 31, 1998 Associate Editor for Nova Southeastern University Journal of International & Comparative...

I am a native of central Georgia until I moved to Florida in 2011. While in Georgia, I attended Georgia Institute of Technology for Aerospace Engineering and obtained my degree in Business Administration and Business Economics from Georgia State University. After graduating from Georgia State in 2010, I moved to central Florida to attend Barry University School of Law, starting August 2011. In summer of 2012, I began an internship for a criminal defense attorney in Orlando, focusing on white collar defense. By late 2012, I was gaining experience family law matters and made the decision to shift...

I have been a resident of the Sarasota area for most of my life, attended Pine View School, and am fluent in Spanish. Upon obtaining my law degree, I knew I wanted to return to the Sarasota County area and started work immediately as an Assistant State Attorney in Sarasota County, where I worked as a misdemeanor and juvenile prosecutor for several years. Since leaving the prosecutor’s office, I have practiced in the areas of civil litigation, insurance defense, family law, domestic violence and criminal defense. My practice is focused on all aspects of the firm’s...

Kimberley joined Chapman Law Group in 2000 after spending several years handling complex Labor Relation claims. She focuses her practice on the defense of medical malpractice and Civil Rights (42 USC 1983) claims. Kimberley has successfully defended hundreds of claims brought on behalf of inmates within state and county correctional facilities. Over the years Kimberley developed an exceptional understanding of the interplay between Federal Civil Rights law and State tort actions such as medical malpractice. This knowledge enables her to quickly address the deficiencies of claims and promptly respond with the appropriate defense, often ending in immediate dismissal.

When you are considering divorce, you should not settle for just another lawyer. At Boeller Law, P.A., a Venice divorce attorney offers compassionate and diligent counsel for a variety of family law matters that focuses on the client’s emotional wellbeing during difficult moments. The firm’s attorney is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator who also holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. The team draws on both experiences when serving clients—they aim to help clients navigate through a divorce emotionally intact. The firm is dedicated to removing the stress involved in contentious matters such as divorce....

Joseph W. Lehn is a New York native who now practices in Sarasota, Manatee,Charlotte and Lee County. Joe received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of South Florida. He went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville. He received his LLM in Elder Law from Stetson University College of Law. Joe is the managing partner of Lehn Law, P.A with offices in downtown Sarasota and Port Charlotte, conveniently located on Tamiami Trail (41) by Toledo Blade.
Joe is a...

Family law generally concerns domestic relations and family-related matters such as marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships, adoptions, paternity, guardianships, domestic abuse, surrogacy, child custody, child abduction, the dissolution of marriage and associated issues. Each state has its own set of family laws, and traveling across state borders can sometimes affect your rights and those of your family.

Contrary to popular belief, seeking the advice of a family law attorney does not necessarily mean that something is amiss in your family. A family law attorney can help negotiate prenuptial/premarital agreements for clients in anticipation of marriage or advise same-sex couples on relevant legal issues affecting their relationship. They also can help with adoption proceedings and other procedures involving children.

Family law attorneys often do represent clients seeking a divorce, annulment or legal separation, and the complicated issues that can arise as a result. Although domestic abuse is a criminal offense, some family law attorneys are skilled at handling these situations, as they are often entangled with other family law issues.

Some jurisdictions certify lawyers as family law specialists, which means these attorneys have met the certifying body's minimum requirements for education, experience, and examination.

No-Fault Proceeding:
A civil case in which parties may resolve their dispute without a formal finding of error or fault.

Paternity Suit:
A lawsuit to determine the father of a child whose parents were not married when the child was born.